If you think a book about a sex researcher falling for one of his study participants sounds a little silly, I’m not going to try to dissuade you. Chemistry for Beginners is, in fact, a pretty silly book. It is also, however, smart, charming and funny.
Miss G. signs up to participate in a study for a cure for female sexual dysfunction at the insistence of her boyfriend. Because she is a PhD student studying English Literature, researcher Steven Fisher dismisses her outright, until she starts asking intelligent questions. In the end, the only thing the research team learns is that sex and love are as complicated inside a laboratory as out.
What makes this charming romance so fresh and fun is that Strong keeps the science, except when intentionally manipulated to move the plot along, real and yet wholly readable. I didn’t skip a single word! He makes brilliant use of illustrations and footnotes, at times drawing stares at my guffaws.